UP MLAs held for fuelling clashes get bail

The court on Tuesday granted bail to MLAs Suresh Rana of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Noor Salim Rana of the Bahujan Samaj Party, who had been arrested for giving instigating speeches in Muzaffarnagar during the recent communal clashes.

Meanwhile, the lawyer of the other arrested MLA, BJP’s Sangeet Som has filed an application, alleging that the authorities transferred him from Muzaffarnagar to Orai jail without the permission of a competent court, thereby contravening Supreme Court directives.

Senior advocate Anil Jindal told Hindustan Times that two cases were registered against Som, one each in city Kotwali under IT Act and Sikhera police station, for which separate warrants were issued. But without the permission of the court, the district administration had transferred Som to Orai Jail, against SC directives.

Citing last year’s case, he said, “In a case Maharashtra state v/s Saeed Sohal Shekh 2012, the Supreme Court had issued clear directions that nobody could be transferred to a jail in another district without the permission of a competent court. We have already moved an application for the violation of SC directives and had to file a note press application on the bail hearing.”

The additional chief judicial magistrate–II has fixed September 26 for the next hearing on the application moved by Som’s lawyer.

The court has also summoned the superintendent of Muzaffarnagar jail on this date.

Meanwhile, advocate Dushyant Singh appearing on behalf of Suresh Rana told the ACJM court that police did not explain in its chargesheet in what way his client had violated section 144 or produce any statement from his speech that would justify charges of instigating the crowd at the Mahapanchayat.